248 Transactions.— Zoology. 
were a great many in that spot, but not over the paddock generally, and 
some of the nests and the spiders were of large size. These nests must 
have been constructed since the ground was last ploughed and harrowed, as 
the soil is very free and breaks down very fine under culture, but I am not 
prepared to say that the spiders themselves may not have been there in the 
soil for some time before, as from what I will relate presently, I believe 
they are very reluctant to abandon their habitations, and I suspect that 
year after year they constructed temporary dwellings, till the revolutionary 
period of cultivation was passed, and then they formed their permanent 
nests; with all the advantages of repeated experiences in house-building to © 
help them in making the large and complete nests they now have. This 
is a point, however, that I intend making some experiments upon, when 
opportunity offers, by carefully marking a piece of ground containing one 
large nest, destroying this nest, but leaving the spider uninjured, and then 
watching carefully for any new or large nest that may be excavated in the 
vicinity. That good sized nests are constructed in less time than I have 
mentioned, is proved from the following entry in my note-book :—‘ 15th 
November, 1874. Found a Trap-door Spider’s nest in the grass-paddock 
above the Stable”’ (this is a different paddock from the other, and fully a 
mile away from it.) ‘Its hole was about half-in-inch wide, and about 
eight inches deep. The trap-door itself was of several plies, three tiers at 
least being easily discernible by the unassisted eye, and with the hinge was 
very thick, the silk lining of it, and of the nest, being close, compact, and 
tough, and of a brown tinge like leather. This land was cultivated last 
(ploughed and harrowed repeatedly) in the month of January, about ten 
months ago, so that the spider must have constructed this nest and trap- 
door since. I cut out the trap and a small portion of the top of the nest, 
and marked the place.” This trap-door is now also before you, No. 19, I 
scarcely think these spiders migrated during the time the ground was being 
lacerated and pulverized, or that they only took up their abode in these 
places, after these operations were over, for in the case of the nests found 
at Elderslie, Waiareka, the country for miles round had been under cultiva- 
tion not very long before, and yet in the middle of this large area of 
cultivated ground, the nests are to be found by the score, and many of them 
that I examined measured half-an-inch wide by fifteen inches deep. The 
trap-doors were, however, generally thin and not planted. At page 127 of 
his book, Mr. Moggridge makes a calculation, to show that the largest nests 
he has observed (some sixteen lines across), would take four years to con- 
struct. In general, I believe, that the construction of the nest is a gradual 
process, that it'is first small, and then is from time to time widened and 
deepened, but it is probable from the above facts, and from the fact, that 
